Menorah is up at Worcester airport

WORCESTER — Anyone flying into or out of Worcester Regional Airport over the coming week will by greeted by a 6-foot-tall menorah.

Members of the Central Massachusetts Chabad received permission recently from the Massachusetts Port Authority, which owns and operates the airport, to place the Jewish symbol in the facility's lobby.

The menorah is a symbol of Hanukkah, which is also known as the Festival of Lights.

Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the second Temple in Jerusalem, shortly after the Maccabees, a small group of Jewish rebel fighters, successfully revolted against King Antiochus IV in the second century B.C.

The weeklong holiday features a nightly lighting of the menorah.

Rabbi Mendel Fogelman of Central Massachusetts Chabad said he thought it would be a great idea to put a menorah at the airport, given JetBlue's startup this month of daily flights between Worcester and Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.

"It's just a great way of welcoming people who fly JetBlue, and other people who use the airport," said Rabbi Fogelman.

The local Chabad has been erecting a Hanukkah menorah at Newton Square since the 1970s.

Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., the first candle at the Newton rotary was lighted during a small ceremony attended by the public and local dignitaries. Potato latkes, a traditional food for the holiday, and other treats were served.

The first lighting of the menorah at the airport also took place Wednesday.

Rabbi Fogelman said brochures will be available at the airport to let people know what the holiday is all about.

"It's all about bringing light to the world," said the rabbi. "It's all about religious freedom."

He said more and more Jewish groups are setting up public menorahs around the world, including communities in Westboro and Shrewsbury.

For the first time since 1888, Hanukkah coincides with the American celebration of Thanksgiving.

Hanukkah is based on a lunar calendar and usually occurs closer to Christmas.

Religious scholars and mathematicians said the first day of Hanukkah won't coincide with Thanksgiving again for another 78,000 years.